Forever Mine

The murder revealed and Muraki and Tatsumi finally come face to face.

Chapter Eleven: There is no Turning Back


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TV Reporter: A man was found in his flower shop today pronounced dead. From what the police have stated, he seemed to have been dead only hours ago. He was found in a pile of at least a hundred roses or more which may indicate that it might be another victim in the Rose murders. The police have identified the death to be of suffocation. Perhaps while he was asleep...

Chief Konoe turned off the television leaning back in his chair. Always a stressful man, especially when it involved a certain purple-eyed shinigami. Again the troublesome guardian is late. Even Tatsumi his trusty secretary has not shown up yet.

Tsuzuki he could excuse. The brunette is always late, but Tatsumi. Tatsumi never is. He even comes in early at times. Konoe couldn’t understand it.

"Well, maybe Tatsumi went to pick up Tsuzuki. That would cause him to be late. He probably is over at Tsuzuki’s right now. Tatsumi has always had a soft spot for that guardian. It’s so obvious, but Tsuzuki is just too naive to see it. Tatsumi just seems to lose all his inhibitions when around Tsuzuki. That’s why that purple-eyed guardian always gets away with everything. Being the oldest and most powerful Shinigami in Meifu, he just has a child-like innocence to him. No wonder all of Meifu love and adore him. What’s worse, though, is I know I will be angry with him when he enters my door, but I can’t help but let it slide. I have for seventy years. He just has that special way about him that everyone falls for it. Everyone except Terazuma. He pretty much despises Tsuzuki. I believe it has to do with the immense power the Shinigami has in having twelve shikigami. No other Shinigami has ever achieved that many. But Tsuzuki was able to pull it off with ease and amazingly every shikigami he has exalts him in their own ways. Terazuma denies this fact, though. Speaking of which, him and Wakaba are suppose to bring me some news on their case."

Konoe remembered sending the pointed-eared shinigami and Wakaba on their own case involving a wandering spirit refusing to leave the living.

A common case we have in Meifu. It happened the same time as Tsuzuki and Tatsumi case. But again there was nothing new involving two of Meifu highest employee’s case and that was making Konoe even more worried. Being that Muraki possible might be the murderer. He was able to get through their systems with the vampire case involving Maria Wong. There was no telling when this madman would possibly strike again. But Konoe promised himself that there would be no more victims and the news just indicated yet another poor soul and he couldn’t have that.

"Damn it! Where are they?!"

A knock faintly taps at his door. He quickly gets up. Maybe it was them coming to tell him some good news. He could only hope.

Opening the door his hope shatters as he sees Terazuma.

"Yes, what is it?” The chief fumed.

Terazuma paid him no heed even with the annoyance in his voice.

"Chief, we have the woman. She is in our custody," Terazuma snuffed out his cigarette as he knows how the chief hates the smell.

"Then she needs to be judged. Have they sighed her case yet?"

"Well, the thing is, Chief, she turned herself in but she said before she is to be judged she wanted to have a word with you."

Chief Konoe raised a brow at the Shinigami sitting back in his chair.

"A word with me, huh? Well, then, I guess you can send her in."

A young lady wearing all black, her hair a vibrant red and skin as pale as white porcelain walked into his office.

"Mr. Konoe, I’m going to make this as quick as I can. I know you have been looking into the Rose murders. The case that has been on the news for these past weeks I’m going to make it easier for you."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" The elder man leaned forward in his chair.

"Because I was involved."

He doubted her motive. Why would she be causing these murders? The cases clearly involved the killer to be of the opposite gender.

"But the murders were all done by a male."

"Yes, Mr. Konoe, it was. My husband."

Konoe rubbed his temples now.

All of this time he was thinking it was Muraki who had done it who had caused all these murders. What reason would he doubt it wasn’t him? There were roses at each scene. But this woman before him was telling him different. Why would she have to lie?

"You are confusing me, Mrs...?" allowing her to finish the sentence.

"Rose. My name is Rose and if you have a moment I can explain my story."

He calmly looked at her. She was obviously serious. The chief out weighing his options.

"Either I can just send her on her way to be judged and keep thinking the murder is that insane doctor or listen to what she has to say. What would it hurt anyway? If by chance she is telling the truth, then it will get me closer to solving the Rose murder case."

"Take a seat."

She sat in the chair taking in a deep breath. Never taking her eyes off his.

"My husband was a flower shop owner. One of the best in Tokyo. His shop was strictly of roses in honor of my name. To say the least, the man truly loved me. But his love for his roses, sadly, was far greater."

She sighed.

"We were not making much money and it was hard to keep up on shop expenses. So it was decided we had to close down. But then as if fate was looking upon us, a man came into our shop and asked my husband if he could breed a thousand roses, the man even left a check. It was like an angel had come down from the heavens and answered our prayers. Our shop was saved. My husband quickly went onto the task, night and day all week to months. We hardly even seen each other anymore. It became unbearable. We even fought at times. The man never showed up but my husband was determined to finish it. I finally had enough. I broke it off with him. Told him it was over. We divorced. He became depressed. But still he tried to make it work between us. He even brought me roses that I only refused. I didn’t care. I knew things would never be the same between us again. Why? Because I had fallen in love with another person. A woman. When I told him he just snapped and that’s when it all changed."

She looked away from Konoe, her voice cracking as she spoke.

"He killed me. But his revenge didn’t end there. He went on a killing spree. Killing any female that looked like me. He even used the roses as a symbol of my name and the cut on the finger was clearly a sign only I would understand. It was to symbolize the wrong I had done to him in our marriage choosing a different gender to be in love with. Instead of being on the wedding finger it was on the opposite one. Go figure, huh? He was always a very symbolic man and those two things seem to mean so much to his heart."

Her eyes shifted back on his.

"I didn’t turn myself into your department because I was scared. I mean, I didn’t mean to hurt him so bad but I loved her and I didn’t want him to kill her so I had to do it. I had to kill him. Now, I am ready to be judged because now I know she will be safe."

The Chief fell into his chair. He couldn’t believe it. Two cases solved. He was relieved but also a part of him sad. He looked at the lady crying. Every soul that passes the living into purgatory has a story but no one has touched him like this one.

"I promise you, your judgment won't be a harsh one."

She smiled at him getting up, giggling to herself.

"It seems people do crazy things when they're in love."


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Oriya threw the katana down fast slicing the air. A normal human would not have seen the leaf falling in front of the swordsman being slashed through. Now two identical leaves fell away from the man. Gliding gentle with the wind to the ground. Oriya quickly turned around slashing the air again stopping his sword inches away from his friends chest.
Muraki smiled at him amused.

"Muraki, I almost stabbed you!"

Oriya yelled at him putting his sword down.

"That wouldn’t be the first time I would have been stabbed."

Oriya didn’t find that comment amusing at all. Espeically since he was the one taking care of the pale doctor for those long brutal months. In and out of consciousness, restless nights when his friend would wake up gasping for air. But Muraki would never show any signs of how much it hurt. He was always so confident in himself. Never letting anything bring him down. The wound was almost a fatal one. Only a half inch away from his heart. The bullet was still lodged in the man's chest when Oriya took him in.

Oryia feared he was to late. He didn’t know anything about removing a bullet and Muraki was faintly guiding him through it. The doctor would fade in and out. This just made Oryia more nervous, which was hard to come by with this man. But Muraki somehow always brought him to this point. Muraki looked his most innocent in this weakened state. It was what made him look normal. It was what made the swordsman love the man in white.

But he knew it would never go farther than friendship. Besides, he wouldn’t want to ruin what friendship they had over a night of desired needs pent up inside him all these years. Muraki did not see him in that way. Oriya never asked him if there were feelings for him. He knew not to question him. He wouldn’t get a direct answer, anyway.

Muraki was not a person to love. Not even Ukyou could catch his heart. There was only one person that had penetrated his soul. The man in the picture. The one he promised Oriya one day he would find. Well, he found him. Damn him for it, too. Just look at what happened because of it and now again his life is being threatened.

"Muraki, what have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Muraki just pulled out a cigarette from his pack and lit it.

Oriya rolled his eyes trying to get the doctor's attention.

"I had a visitor yesterday. A certain Shinigami. He seemed pretty pissed, too. Said that they were looking for you. You’re a wanted man, Muraki."

the pale man exhales some smoke.

"So, what’s new?"

"He seemed to refer more than to just capturing you and turning you in Muraki."

Oriya joined him, puffing on his pipe.

"Let me guess. His name was Tatsumi, right?"

Oriya nodded.

Muraki chuckled.

"So, the secretary wants to play."

Oriya could practically see the amusement in his friends eyes.

"This isn‘t a laughing matter, Muraki. He threatened to destroy my restaurant. And he looks like a man who goes by his word, too."

"Was that all he said?" Muraki looked up at the sky puffing his cigarette again.

"He just warned that if I seen you to tell you to turn yourself in."

"Well, then, it seems I will have to pay this Tatsumi a vist. Besides, there is a few things I have to discuss with him myself."

"What do you mean?" Oriya questioned only for Muraki to look somberly at him.

"He touched something of mine and I’m not very happy about it."

Oriya eyes widened in fear.

"You didn’t, did you? You went after him, didn’t you? I thought we have been through this already! After you were hurt the first time. Would you really do it again?"

Muraki just smirked.

"Of course. I love him and that is all that should matter."

"But is it enough to risk everything?" concern in the swordsman's voice.

"Yes."

Oriya grabbed his arm, bewildered.

"Don‘t Muraki! There is no second chances. I couldn‘t even bear the first time you were hurt," he sighed backing away.

"It doesn‘t matter. You're going to do it anyway, aren‘t you?"

Muraki smiled at him as he faded away.

"Someone once told me you would die for the one you love. If I‘m wrong about that,
please correct me. If I am not, then let it be."

Leaving Oriya perplexed.


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Tatsumi stood outside by a large fountain surrounded by sakura trees the highlight of Meifu. A calming waterfall of serene sounds echoing into his ear. But that wasn’t going to help what he was feeling right now. He didn’t want to enter into the building. Not yet if Tsuzuki was in there.
He never had been scared in all his life about anything. But somehow he just couldn’t face Tsuzuki. Not after what had happened. What he had done to him. How he had violated his body and touched him in such a way. The way the brunette pushed him away, rejecting him. Told him to not touch him! Those words alone just wouldn’t leave his mind, haunting his thoughts

"Tsuzuki will never understand how much I love him."

The secretary balled up his fists. Suddenl,y his posture stiffened. He was not alone.

"Can’t seem to keep your hands off of things that don’t belong to you."

Tatsumi eyes shifted to anger. He had been waiting for this moment. Longing to finally face this man before him.

"Muraki."

His voice low to a roar. As the ground underneath him shakes, breaking concrete in the direction toward the doctor.

Muraki’s lips curled into a smile. Staring intently at him, his one eye glared with a flash of light. The concrete stopped dead in front of him breaking into dust and dissipating in thin air out of his way.

"I see. A challenge to the death. Then so be it."


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Chapter Twelve: Till the Bitter End.